Bill Text: CT HB07302 | 2017 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Isolated Confinement And Correctional Staff Training And Wellness.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-07-11 - Signed by the Governor [HB07302 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2017-HB07302-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 7302
AN ACT CONCERNING ISOLATED CONFINEMENT AND CORRECTIONAL STAFF TRAINING AND WELLNESS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2018) (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Administrative segregation status" means the Department of Correction's practice of placing an inmate on restrictive housing status following a determination that such inmate can no longer be safely managed within the general inmate population of the correctional facility; and
(2) "Restrictive housing status" means the designation of an inmate by the Department of Correction that provides for closely regulated management and separation of such inmate from other inmates.
(b) The Department of Correction shall publish on its Internet web site the formula for calculating an inmate's mental health score and a description of any form and phase of housing employed at any of its correctional facilities for inmates on restrictive housing status.
(c) The Department of Correction shall at least annually submit to the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division established under section 4-68m of the general statutes a report containing as aggregated and anonymized the following data:
(1) The number of inmates on restrictive housing status in this state's correctional facilities, as of the first day of each of the twelve months preceding the date of the submission of the report. The department shall report and disaggregate such data based on an inmate's age, gender identity, ethnicity, mental health score as calculated by the department, if any, and the form and phase of housing in which such inmate is held on restrictive housing status;
(2) The number of inmates on administrative segregation status who have spent the following cumulative durations of time on administrative segregation status:
(A) One to fifteen days;
(B) Sixteen to thirty days;
(C) Thirty-one to one hundred eighty days;
(D) One hundred eighty-one to three hundred sixty-five days;
(E) Three hundred sixty-six to seven hundred thirty days;
(F) Seven hundred thirty-one to one thousand ninety-five days;
(G) One thousand ninety-six to one thousand four hundred sixty days;
(H) One thousand four hundred sixty-one to one thousand eight hundred twenty-five days;
(I) One thousand eight hundred twenty-six to two thousand one hundred ninety days;
(J) Two thousand one hundred ninety-one to two thousand five hundred fifty-five days;
(K) Two thousand five hundred fifty-six to two thousand nine hundred twenty days;
(L) Two thousand nine hundred twenty-one to three thousand two hundred eighty-five days;
(M) Three thousand two hundred eighty-six to three thousand six hundred fifty days; and
(N) More than three thousand six hundred fifty days;
(3) For each correctional facility, the number of inmates who, during the twelve months preceding the date of the submission of the report, spent more than fifteen days, cumulative, on administrative segregation status. The department shall report and disaggregate such data based on an inmate's age, gender identity, ethnicity, mental health score as calculated by the department, if any, and the form and phase of restricted housing in which such inmate is held; and
(4) Actions taken by the department during the twelve months preceding the date of the submission of the report to minimize reliance on administrative segregation status and to mitigate the harmful effects of administrative segregation status on inmates, staff and the public.
(d) The department shall not hold any person under eighteen years of age on administrative segregation status.
(e) Not later than January 1, 2019, the Commissioner of Correction shall study and submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary regarding the use and oversight of all forms and phases of housing for inmates on restrictive housing status.
(f) The provisions of subsections (a) to (d), inclusive, of this section do not apply to any inmate described in subsection (a) of section 18-10b of the general statutes.
(g) Within available appropriations, the Department of Correction shall provide training to employees of the department who interact with inmates concerning the following:
(1) The recognition of symptoms of mental illness;
(2) The potential risks and side effects of psychiatric medications;
(3) De-escalation techniques for safely managing individuals with mental illness;
(4) Consequences of untreated mental illness;
(5) The long and short-term psychological effects of being on administrative segregation status; and
(6) De-escalation and communication techniques to divert inmates from situations that may lead to the inmate being placed on administrative segregation status.
(h) Within available appropriations, the Department of Correction shall take measures to promote the wellness of employees of the department who interact with inmates. These measures may include, but need not be limited to:
(1) Employee assistance programs;
(2) Peer support programs; and
(3) Stress management training.